Former air force chief accused of traffic offences allowed to travel overseas
Goh Yong Siang was allowed to travel to Jakarta and Bangkok for business and work-related reasons.
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SINGAPORE: A court on Thursday (May 14) allowed a former chief of the air force accused of traffic offences to travel overseas with certain conditions in place.
Goh Yong Siang, 74, was allowed to travel to Jakarta, Indonesia from May 19 to May 22 for business, and to Bangkok, Thailand from Jun 3 to Jun 6 for work-related reasons.
The Singaporean will have to furnish an additional bail sum of S$5,000 (US$3,930) on top of his existing bail of S$10,000 and comply with other conditions such as giving a complete travel itinerary to the investigation officer before departure.
Goh, who was a fighter pilot in the Republic of Singapore Air Force and retired as chief of air force in 1998, was first charged in April with two charges for driving without reasonable consideration for other road users.
He is accused of failing to keep a proper lookout when making a right turn while a woman was crossing the road with a two-year-old boy in a stroller.
The incident, which occurred at a pedestrian crossing along Pasir Panjang Road towards Telok Blangah Road on May 17, 2024, resulted in grievous hurt to the woman and hurt to the toddler.
Goh's lawyer, Ms Lee May Ling from Allen & Gledhill, said she hoped to inform the court about his decision regarding the case at the next hearing.
Goh has yet to give an indication of how he would plead.
The judge fixed a hearing for Jun 3.
If convicted of driving without reasonable consideration for other road users, resulting in grievous hurt, Goh could be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$5,000, or both.
For the same type of driving resulting in hurt, he could be jailed for up to 12 months, fined up to S$2,500, or both.
He could also be banned from driving.
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